List of Tables

Table 1. Number
of Plants Eradicated From Indoor and Outdoor Sites in the United States, 2004-2008Table 2. Domestic Cannabis
Eradication Indoor and Outdoor Plant Seizures, 2008Table 3. Number of Indoor
Grow Sites and Plants Eradicated in Florida, 2004-2008Table 4. Percentage of
Cannabis Plants Eradicated From National Forests in California, 2004-2008Table 5. Trends in Percentage
of Past Year Marijuana Use, 2003-2007Table 6. Adolescent
Trends in Percentage of Past Year Use of Marijuana, 2003-2007

List of Figures

Figure 1. Average
Percentage of THC in Samples of Seized Marijuana, 1988-2008Figure 2. Cannabis
Plants Eradicated From Indoor Grows in Florida, by County, 2008Figure 3. Outdoor Cannabis
Plants Eradicated and Sites Seized in California, by County, 2008Figure 4. Outdoor Cannabis
Plants Eradicated and Sites Seized in Oregon, by County, 2008Figure 5. Indoor Cannabis
Plants Eradicated in Oregon, by County, 2008Figure 6. Outdoor
Cannabis Plants Eradicated and Sites Seized in Washington, by County, 2008Figure 7. Indoor
Cannabis Plants Eradicated in Washington, by County, 2008Figure 8. Outdoor
Cannabis Plants Eradicated and Sites Seized in Kentucky, by County, 2008Figure 9. Indoor
Cannabis Plants Eradicated in Kentucky, by County, 2008Figure 10. Outdoor
Cannabis Plants Eradicated and Sites Seized in Tennessee, by County, 2008Figure 11. Outdoor
Cannabis Plants Eradicated and Sites Seized in West Virginia, by County, 2008Figure 12. Number
of Plants Eradicated From Federal Lands, 2004-2008Figure 13. Number
of Cannabis Plants Eradicated, by National Forest, 2008Figure 14. Marijuana-Related
Admissions to Publicly Funded Treatment Facilities, 1994-2006

Domestic cannabis cultivation is occurring at high levels and eradication
is increasing across the United States, according to the most recent eradication
data. Cannabis cultivation operations currently appear to be most prevalent
in western states but are increasing in many eastern states. Average marijuana
potency steadily increased over the past 20 years to the highest recorded level
in 2008; this continuous yearly increase can be partially attributed to improvements
in outdoor and indoor cultivation methods. Indoor cannabis cultivation continues
at high levels--the result of traffickers attempting to avoid heightened detection
and eradication of outdoor grow sites and to gain higher profits by trafficking
higher-grade marijuana.

California, Hawaii, Kentucky, Oregon, Tennessee, Washington, and West Virginia
are the primary marijuana cultivation states (M7 states). Domestic Cannabis
Eradication/Suppression Program (DCE/SP) data show that more than 8 million
plants were eradicated in 2008, 89 percent (7,136,133 plants of 8,013,308 plants)
of which were eradicated in the M7 States.

Despite continuing increases in the amount of cannabis produced domestically,
much of the marijuana available within the United States is foreign-produced.
The two primary foreign source areas for marijuana distributed within the United
States are Canada and Mexico. Mexican drug trafficking organizations (DTOs)
have relocated many of their outdoor cannabis cultivation operations in Mexico
from traditional growing areas to more remote locations in central and northern
Mexico, primarily to reduce the risk of eradication and gain easier access to
U.S. drug markets. Asian criminal groups are the primary producers of high-potency
marijuana in Canada.

The amount of marijuana available for distribution in the United States is
unknown; an accurate estimate regarding the amount of marijuana available in
the United States is not feasible. Despite record-setting eradication efforts
in the United States, the availability of marijuana remains relatively high,
with limited disruption in supply or price. Levels of marijuana use in the United
States are higher than those for any other drug, particularly among adults;
however, rates of marijuana use are decreasing among adolescents. Some law enforcement
agencies identify marijuana as the greatest drug threat in their jurisdictions.
Marijuana use often results in adverse health consequences to abusers, placing
a burden on medical services.

No reliable estimates are available regarding the amount of domestically
cultivated or processed marijuana. The amount of cannabis cultivated and marijuana
produced in the United States by large-scale DTOs, including Asian, Caucasian,
and Mexican groups, is unknown. The extent of indoor cannabis cultivation in
the United States is largely unknown and likely underreported because of the
challenges posed to law enforcement entities in locating indoor grow sites.

In the near term, the threat posed by domestic cannabis cultivation in both
outdoor and indoor grows will increase as DTOs expand their operations throughout
the United States. Traffickers, primarily Mexican and Asian DTOs involved with
cannabis cultivation and marijuana distribution, will expand their operations
to new areas, mainly to minimize detection and maximize profits. Demand for
high-potency marijuana may encourage traffickers to produce other high THC-content
products such as hashish and hash oil.